The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation is currently accepting applications to the call for…
(Last update: May 15, 2025)
The Defence Business Mission, organised by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, is centred around the 3-day DSEI Japan (Defence and Security Equipment International) taking place 21 May - 23 May 2025 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture (near Tokyo).
1. Schedule
1.1. Pre-Departure Briefing (April 11th, 10:00 AM - 11:25 AM CEST)
Recording video of the Pre-Departure Briefing can be found here.
A Pre-Departure Briefing will be held to prepare all participants for the upcoming mission. Attendance is highly recommended for all participants.
This session, scheduled for April 11th, will cover key details regarding the mission, logistics, and expectations. The briefing will take place virtually from 10:00 AM to 11:25 AM CEST. The link to join the meeting will be sent via email to all selected participants.
You can also join from here.
This briefing will cover three main topics (you can click on the titles below to access the slides used during PDB):
- General preparation for our Defence Business Mission and DSEI Japan (Mr. Yann BOTREL)
- Business etiquette in Japan (Mr. Hitoshi KOYANO)
- Outline of the defence market in Japan (Mr. Lyckle GRIECK)
1.2. The mission in Japan (May 20th to 23rd):
|
Date |
Event |
Details |
|
May 19 |
Recommended arrival and check-in at your hotel in Tokyo |
To be booked by participants themselves |
|
May 20 |
From 16:00 to 19:30 JST
|
Location: Delegation of the European Union to Japan (Google Maps) |
|
May 21 |
DSEI Japan (Day1) |
Location: Makuhari Messe, Hall 5 |
| May 22 |
DSEI Japan (Day2) |
Location: Makuhari Messe, Hall 5 |
|
May 23 |
DSEI Japan (Day3) |
Location: Makuhari Messe, Hall 5 |
| May 24 | Recommended departure from Japan |
2. Cost
The EU-Japan Centre covers all expenses related to matchmaking, exhibition booth fees and interpretation services.
Flight costs, accommodation, and miscellaneous expenses related to your stay, such as lunch, dinner, and local transportation, are not covered by the Centre.
3. Travel Planning
3.1. Border Entry Regulations for Japan
Japan has lifted all covid-related entry restrictions, and this means that visiting Japan without a visa is possible again*. In case you have questions concerning the border entry regulations, please contact the Embassy of Japan in your country.
*In case of visa-exempted nationalities. Please check the visa agreements of your nationality with your local Japanese Embassy.
3.2. Flight
- The mission will take place in Chiba City & Greater Tokyo.
- We recommend flying into Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND) – travel times to the venue are similar from both. Due to long distances, we advise against taking a taxi from the airport; public transport is recommended.
- Please note that flights to Japan are currently longer than usual due to airspace restrictions from the Ukraine conflict.
3.3. Hotel
- The venue for the DSEI Japan exhibition will be Makuhari Messe.
- For easy access to the venue, please refer here to a map of hotels in the area.
- Please note that the venue is outside central Tokyo, with limited evening facilities nearby.
- For those preferring to stay in Tokyo, Makuhari Messe is accessible via JR Keiyo Line (short commute). You can refer to the map below.
4. Networking and receptions
Participants are invited to networking sessions and receptions during the Business Mission. If you already have contacts in Japan, it is possible to invite these as well. Please consult with us about the available capacity of the events. (TBC)
5. Information for your space in the Centre’s joint booth at the DSEI Japan 2025 exhibition
5.1. Company display space
The EU-Japan Centre has reserved a 24 sqm shared booth at the DSEI Japan exhibition, where all participating companies will have their own space consisting of:
- A company name board
- A Poster in A1 size (output size: W594 mm × H841 mm; visible size: W574 mm x H821 mm)
- A small display area (~W70cm × L40cm) for brochures, business cards, or a tablet/laptop/screen. Please refer to the photo below for an example of efficient space usage (monitors and tablets are not provided), but note that the actual space will be smaller than what is shown in the photo.
- A simple (non-locked) sliding door cabinet to place personal items.
- A power socket
In addition, there will be a small joint space with a few tables and chairs, a water server with cold and hot water, tea, and instant coffee. Centre staff at the joint booth can take care of inquiries about your company should you be absent from the stand. Two interpreters will be in the EU-Japan Centre booth. You can request their services in case you face serious language barriers at the venue.
Disclaimer: Please note that the booth design and participants' display space are not confirmed yet and may be subject to change.
5.2. Company slogan / 40 character description
This slogan or short description will be listed on your company/cluster name board which is going to be placed above your poster.
5.3. Company introduction
Your company introduction may be longer, but up to 100 words. This introduction will be used to introduce you as a participant of the Business Mission to the EEN Japan network and exhibition visitors.
5.4. Poster
Your poster could highlight your company’s brand, products and services or recent research findings.
All posters shall be vertically arranged and will be printed in A1 size.
A1 poster output size: W594 mm × H841 mm; visible size: W574 mm × H821 mm. We recommend using standard/high-quality files:
-
(200 dpi) 4677 × 6622 pixels
-
(300 dpi) 7016 × 9933 pixels
We offer you to translate your poster from English to Japanese with costs borne by the EU-Japan Centre. The number of words in the poster should not exceed 200.
For the poster to be translated into Japanese, there are two options:
- If you already have a Poster in Illustrator or other professional graphic design formats:
You send us an image of an existing English poster and a text file with the text it contains. After the translation of the text by the Centre, we return the Japanese text to you and you (or your graphic designer) place the Japanese text in the original poster file.
You convert the file to PDF in A1 format and send it back to us for printing in Japan.
- If you do not use professional graphic design software
You submit your poster to us as a ppt or pptx file in A1 format (You can download a template here or set the size yourself under Design >> Slide Size >> Custom Slide Size >> W594mm x H841mm). The Centre will translate and edit the text in the data and send a PDF back to you for confirmation. After you have checked the contents we will print the file in Japan.
In either case, please make sure that you send us a document where the translators can directly work in (word, ppt, etc). We will always ask for your final confirmation after the translation.
5.5. Company logo data (high quality data for large prints)
On the Fascia board of the Centre’s joint booth, we include the logos of all organisations participating in the Mission.
5.6. Presentation Video
Video Guidelines: We plan to use a TV screen to showcase participants’ videos.
-
We recommend a 1-2 minutes video-presentation. No size limit, but the length should not exceed 3 minutes.
-
Videos should include embedded English or Japanese subtitles (like standard YouTube promos).
6. Badge Issuance
You will be exhibiting under the name of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. Your company name will be displayed on a name board positioned above your display space onsite.
Since registration is regulated, invitations will only be sent to the email addresses of declared participants.
To complete your registration, you will need:
- An ID document (a copy of your passport)
- A recent photo of yourself (which can also be taken directly with your webcam via the registration platform)
You will receive three emails regarding the badge issuance (please refer to the screenshots below):
- An email to complete your registration
- A confirmation that your registration is being processed through the organizer’s security verification system
- A final confirmation that your registration has been approved (this email will contain your registration code—please keep it safe)
Badges will be emailed to all declared participants during the week of May 6th, 2025.
7. Practical Information
Electricity and Power Plugs
The voltage used throughout Japan is 100 volts, and there are two kinds of frequencies in use. Japan uses US-type 2-flat-pin plugs (see left side).
We recommend buying an adapter before your departure. The frequency in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, and Hokkaido) is 50 Hz, and the one in Western Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Shikoku, and Kyushu) is 60 Hz. This frequency difference affects only sensitive equipment.
How to move around
The below search engine for train connections is available in an English version. Google Maps also works quite well to search for train connections.
Japan Transit Planner (Jorudan) on the web
App for IOS
APP for Android
Please note that ticket machines at many train stations only accept cash, and credit or debit card payments for public transport are still relatively rare.
If you’re an iPhone user, you can add a digital Welcome Suica card directly in Apple Wallet. It’s valid for 28 days from the first day of use. For more information, please visit the JR East Welcome Suica webpage.
8. Business information
The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) is the central organization in charge of acquisition of defence equipment for the Japanese Self-Defence Forces. Individual units still procure equipment as well, but these tend to be mostly ‘civilian’ goods/services for daily operations.
The fact that government organizations must show a degree of transparency as to how they spend public funds, allows us to gain an insight into what kind of goods and services are procured and which companies are supplying this.
Our Japan Tax & Public Procurement (JTPP) Helpdesk has conducted a QuickScan of Japanese language ALTA procurement information and gathered contracting information of the current fiscal year and translated the titles and the suppliers into English using AI. This information is available in this file:
- Quickscan ATLA contract awards (right-click to save)
The information presented might provide you business intelligence for your mission and perhaps help you identify companies that you might want to approach for potential business cooperation.
If you have questions about information found in the Quick Scan, do not hesitate to contact us. Just send an email to jtpphelpdesk@eu-japan.eu.
